Virtual Meeting on Migration Between Croatia and South America Continues Today
February 16, 2022 - The II International Meeting ''Migratory Processes between Croatia and South America'' began virtually yesterday in Croatian, and will continue today and tomorrow in Spanish with a program that addresses issues of history, present, and future of the migratory process between Croatia and South America.
Sponsored by the Central State Office for Croats Abroad, and The Institute of Migration and Ethnic Studies (Institut za migracije i narodnosti -IMIN), the Faculty of Croatian Studies of the University of Zagreb (Fakultet hrvatskih studija -FHS-UNIZG), the Institute of Social and Political Studies of Patagonia of the University National Institute of Patagonia "San Juan Bosco" (IESyPPat-UNPSJB), the Faculty of Education of the University of São Paulo (FE-USP), the University of Dubrovnik, the International Network of Researchers of Migratory Processes between Croatia and South America, and with the institutional endorsement of other higher education centers in South America, the II International Scientific-Professional Meeting Migration processes between Croatia and South America “Towards a transnational and transdisciplinary field of study” is being held this week.
The meeting aims to generate an institutional space for permanent communication in which to exchange experiences, present research results, discuss theoretical and methodological challenges, promote innovative analytical approaches and collaborate in the creation of an international network that addresses different aspects of the processes migration between Croatia and South American countries.
The previous meetings that served as background brought together seventy researchers and professionals from countries such as Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Russia and Venezuela, and discussed problems related to heritage, identity, collective memory, cultural policies, integration policies, return migrations, the various activities of the Croatian community in South America, language teaching and learning, the role of women in migratory processes, historical aspects, methodological challenges, archival issues, among others. This analytical richness and thematic varieties are part and content of a book, which aims to compensate for the lack of interdisciplinary approaches, helping to increase dialogue between researchers from different countries with a view to strengthening a transnational and transdisciplinary field of study.
This year, the meeting takes place from February 15 to 17. Yesterday the program started virtually with speakers who developed various topics in Croatian, and others will join today and tomorrow in Spanish. Today the program starts at 1:00 p.m., and will touch on cultural and political analysis of the migratory processes between Croatia and South America, preservation of cultural heritage, the Croatian language, international relations and geopolitical dimensions of the migratory process.
Tomorrow it will start at the same time, and there will be talks throughout the day about access to sources and archives on Croatian migration in South America and their use for research on the migratory process, the social and economic frameworks of the migratory process will be analyzed, the labor market, the cultural dimensions and the power of writing in the investigation of the migratory process, and the new approaches and challenges in the study of the migratory process between Croatia and South America will be presented. Finally, a closing of the II Encounter will take place.
To join the session on Wednesday 16 (today), you can do so via Zoom and YouTube. For the session on Thursday 17 (tomorrow), you can also do it on Zoom and YouTube.
To download the complete program with the schedules, contents and information of the speakers, click here.
To download the content book with the research carried out on the migratory process between Croatia and South America, click here.
For general information about the International Scientific-Professional Meeting, click here.
For more news about the Croatian diaspora, visit our dedicated section.
Boeing and Airbus Parts Being Delivered from Jakovlje Production Plant
February the 16th, 2022 - Parts for the cabins of commercial aircraft are already being sought and delivered from the Jakovlje production plant located in Zagreb County, putting the business zone of this municipality firmly on the aviation map.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes, back at the end of pandemic-dominated 2020, preparatory work began on a new construction site in one of the business zones of the Jakovlje Municipality in Zagreb County. Despite the global health crisis that was often cited as the reason for many investors to abandon projects, this January saw the beginning of production in the FACC Solutions Croatia plant, which is already delivering the final parts of the cabins of aircraft such as Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and several others. This was confirmed by a member of the Management Board of FACC Solutions Croatia, Matija Feric.
“Back in January, we conducted test production and started serial production and deliveries. The increase in production will take place gradually and in 3 to 6 months we expect to achieve the planned volume of production for this year,'' says Feric of the Jakovlje production plant's capabilities.
At the moment, the company has 130 employees, by the end of the year they intend to significantly increase that number, and in the context of further growth in production, there will be about 400 production workers in the first of three phases.
Despite the classic pain felt by employers which is typical of the Croatian labour market, which is reflected in the lack of would-be workers with the necessary qualifications and skills, that was not the case here at all.
''I can openly say that we found people very easily and we had about 250 open applications. If we show that people can expect normal working conditions and mutual respect between management and employees, our existing workers will be ambassadors for further employment because their recommendations that conditions are good here mean more than traditional methods of employment," he said.
The project of building the Jakovlje production plant, with a total value of about 35 million euros, adjusted to market conditions and the decline in production for the needs of the aviation industry in the coronavirus crisis, will be implemented in three phases. In the first phase, the main hall - the central part of the production process - was built in the amount of slightly more than 10 million euros.
The contractor was Strabag, the first shovel was driven into the ground back in March 2021, and the project is expected to expand. From composite fibers, the Jakovlje production plant is now completing semi-finished products that are normally produced in nearby Austria and delivering them to the parent company, the Austrian FACC.
FACC includes four more production facilities and one technology centre in Upper Austria, and the company is one of the world leaders in equipping certain internal parts of aircraft.
Following the past two years which were packed with unprecedented and great challenges, the situation in the industry is showing clear signs of the beginning of market recovery, so according to these sources, a return to pre-pandemic levels is expected in a short period of time.
The projections show a return to the state of 2019 during 2024, but Feric believes that this is realistically achievable as early as 2023, which is supported by the completed order books from various airlines. The fastest growth is expected in the segment of short and medium range aircraft ("single-aisle" planes such as the A320).
“Starting the recovery of the aviation industry will affect the business of all suppliers. FACC is ready to firmly support the plans of its business partners, so that accelerated business growth and market development can be expected,'' concluded Feric.
For more, check out Made in Croatia.
Croatian National Bank Economist Vedran Sosic Talks Interest Rate Growth
February the 16th, 2022 - Croatian National Bank economist Vedran Sosic has spoken out about interest rates and when prices in general might return to some form of normality.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, economist Vedran Sosic has stated that currently, inflation is expected to peak in the second quarter, after the peak of electricity and gas prices, and should calm down entirely by the end of the year. Raw material and energy prices have boosted inflation and it's normal that we're currently troubled by the price of oil, it is difficult to predict what will happen there. A slight descent is expected towards the end of the year, but all this is all still shrouded in uncertainty.
''Energy prices have quickly made their mark on prices being paid for fuel at the pumps, although we still have a limit on petrol prices, we'll see what happens with fuel costs in April - we have a package that should alleviate this spillover. Food is currently the largest contributor to inflation, with prices rising by around 8 percent, sometimes by even more. Producer food prices rose by about 4 percent, less than the case with retail. Traders say they're trying to take on part of the cost growth on margins, but according to statistics, it seems that margins haven't yet been reduced. A lot of what happened last year has already been absorbed in terms of prices, so that's something we shouldn't be seeing in the coming months,'' explained economist Vedran Sosic.
He also spoke to N1 and said that it is possible to use the growth of raw material prices to increase the price of the final product: "It's possible for that to happen. That is the greatest danger. Inflation is also a psychological phenomenon, the more we talk about it, the greater the risk that the inflationary spiral will roll, which is harder to bring back down again.''
"Interest rates will rise, but people can protect themselves now"
Commenting on interest rates on loans, CNB's main economist Vedran Sosic explained:
“Back in October last year, when it became apparent that inflation was going on, we warned people that interest rates would rise. The normalisation of monetary policy was expected, those expectations haven't really altered and so these jumps shouldn't be sudden. For the European Central Bank, the market expectation is about half a percentage point increase in interest rates. In some markets, this growth can be seen, Croatia borrowed more when it issued bonds, so the growth of interest rates is already visible.
Every loan is different - those that come with a fixed rate are protected. Those who have a variable, again, aren't the same as what's tied in with the interest rate. An increase of one to two percentage points for those who have a loan for a period of 20 years, could mean a 10 to 20 percent higher installment, that would of course be the worst case scenario - so about 400 kuna on a loan of 4,000 kuna. The suggestion to people is to look at what rates they have, maybe reprogramme things, change the bank… Let them ask personal bankers, inquire about protection, there's still time to change those loans.'' concluded economist Vedran Sosic.
For more, check out our dedicated lifestyle section.
Zagreb Company Altpro Partaking in Impressive Egyptian Project
February the 16th, 2022 - The Zagreb company Altpro has spent time ''conquering'' India over recent years, and now it has entered the Egyptian market with its work on an extremely important motorail transport connection.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes, the Zagreb company Altpro is currently working on a monorail transport connection between Cairo and two new satellite cities, one of which will become the country's new capital.
Namely, as Tin Viduka, a member of the Management Board of Altpro in charge of sales and marketing, explained, this is one of this company's biggest projects, which they entered into with their long-term global partners - Bombardier and Alstom. Although they aren't currently allowed to talk about the financial aspects of it all due to the confidentiality of the contract, they emphasise that this is a significant and very far-reaching project.
"This project is very important to us because, in addition to entering a new market with great potential, it involves a new technology that we've been developing for a long time now. In this business, we participate with signaling systems for infrastructure that guarantee high reliability and improved security. Our axle counting systems for single-track rails are currently unique in the field of control and detection of non-standard train types. Speed sensors, direction sensors and the position of single-track trains exchange this vital information with other infrastructure subsystems,'' said Viduka, the son of the founder and CEO of the Zagreb company Altpro, Zvonimir Viduka.
The company explained that there are two monorail lines in Egypt, spanning a total length of about a hundred kilometres.
The first of them, spanning 54 kilometres, will connect eastern Cairo with the new administrative capital, currently called the "New Capital City" and should have almost seven million inhabitants living in it, and the second line of 42 kilometres will connect the Cairo suburb of Giza with a new city officially named the "6th of October City ”.
This somewhat unusual name for the city, which already boasts about half a million inhabitants, is actually named in memory of October the 6th, 1973, when the 4th Arab-Israeli War, better known as the Yom Kippur War or the Ramadan War, began. It was an armed conflict fought from the 6th to the 25th of October 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria.
Egypt stood out during the conflict, as, instead of sending in soldiers and tanks, it put water engineers in the forefront and occupied Suez and the whole of Sinai.
However, due to unrealistic changes in the plans which almost did succeed in bringing Israel to its knees, the whole campaign collapsed and Israel surrounded and destroyed the Arab forces, coming in tanks in front of Cairo and Damascus, which resulted in US and USSR involvement in the crisis.
However, October the 6th remains a big date and Armed Forces Day in Egypt today. Both lines are expected to open in 2023 and will be able to carry about 45,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
Travel time will be significantly reduced to about 60 minutes for the first line and about 42 minutes for the second. The Cairo Monorail will use 70 fully automated Bombardier INNOVIA Monorail 300 trains, ie ones without a train driver, which will be produced in Derby, England.
Business for the Zagreb company Altpro in Los Angeles
The Zagreb company Altpro's impressive reference list also includes a project at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). It involves the delivery of a control system for the APM (Automatic People Mover) train used to transport passengers within the airport itself. The delivery currently includes state-of-the-art technology for the management and detection of trains of specific dimensions and requirements.
Although the financial results for last year are not yet known, the company states that 2021 was a record year for them and that they expect double-digit revenue growth compared to the previous record year od pandemic-dominated 2020, when they achieved about 70 million kuna in revenue.
"We have three big projects and a number of smaller ones under our belts, and we expect double digit growth this year as well. Along with India and now Egypt, after a long lull, the Croatian railway market has finally opened up again. A lot is being invested in infrastructure and new railway vehicles. We're mostly engaged in the section of the Krizevci-Koprivnica-Hungarian border railway, and where we're actually a system integrator with consortium partners - we produce, deliver and install the equipment. We expect that this growth of the Croatian market will continue in the next period as well,'' believes Viduka.
For more, check out our dedicated business section.
RTL Croatia Taken Over by CME in Estimated 50 Million Euro Transaction
February the 16th, 2022 - RTL Croatia, which has been present in the Republic of Croatia since the year 2004, has now been taken over by CME in an estimated 50 million euro transaction.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Sergej Novosel Vuckovic writes, RTL Croatia/Hrvatska is set to get a brand new owner in a transaction that is expected to be successfully completed in the coming months. RTL Croatia's ''parent'', the Luxembourg-German RTL Group, sold it to CME Media Enterprises (CME), part of the PPF Group from the Czech Republic, for an estimated 50 million euros.
The current expectations are for the above transaction to be completed by the middle part of this year, after obtaining all of the necessary regulatory approvals and dealing with the involved paperwork.
With this move, CME has secured long-term rights to use the RTL brand, which boasts eight national TV channels and cable, cable service and a music house. PPF operates across an impressive 25 countries in various sectors and employs as many as 80,000 people globally, while CME covers the media business (TV and on-demand platforms) in five CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) countries, where it broadcasts 33 TV channels.
Until the year 2017, CME was the owner of NovaTV, the main commercial competitor to RTL here in the Republic of Croatia, when it sold it to the United Media group, which also has the N1 cable channel.
For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.
Samuel Kolega Finishes 15th, Filip Zubčić 18th in Olympic Men's Slalom
February 16, 2022 - Croatian skier Samuel Kolega finished 15th place in the Olympic men's slalom on Wednesday, ahead of Croatia's best skier Filip Zubčić.
Croatia's best skier Filip Zubčić placed 18th in the men's slalom at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Wednesday.
"I did better in the second run; I had a better feeling. It will be better on camera as well. For me, the Olympics are over, not the most successful. However, there are still races until the end of the season, and we are moving forward optimistically," said Zubčić for HRT after the race.
After placing 10th in the giant slalom and now the 18th in the slalom, Zubčić did not show his best skiing at the Olympic Games.
"I'm not satisfied; it's not the best. I wasn’t even in the top 15 today, so I won’t get anything for the starting list; I might be in the second group in the slalom. So it is, as it is. I did my best. I didn't do well today on this track. I thought it would be much better," said Zubčić and added:
"I came here; I felt great. I skied well; the training went well. But unfortunately, the giant slalom was very bad, especially the first run. Tenth place doesn’t sound bad, but it sounds bad to me. I thought the slalom would be better, but it wasn’t."
He is now turning to new challenges in the World Cup.
"Five more slaloms and three giant slaloms until the end of the season. A lot can still be done; we need to rest and then train until the end of the season," concluded Zubčić.
"I can't complain. The second run was not the greatest, but I did my best. It was not the best ride, but enough for 15th place, those are points, and I am glad," said Samuel Kolega, today the best Croatian skier in 15th place.
Matej Vidović skied to 20th place.
"The track did not suit me, but the conditions are great, as well as the organization. Unfortunately, we didn't make it. I had a weaker first run, better second, but we were not close to where we would like to be," Vidović concluded.
Source: HRT
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
Edelweiss Summer Flights to Croatia Announced from Zurich to Pula, Split, Dubrovnik
February 16, 2022 - The latest flight news to Croatia as Edelweiss summer flights to Croatia have been announced from Zurich, Switzerland to Pula, Split, and Dubrovnik.
The Swiss leisure airline Edelweiss has announced several flights to Pula, Split, and Dubrovnik in the upcoming summer flight schedule, reports Croatian Aviation.
Namely, the sister company of the well-known Swiss International Air Lines is planning three routes to Croatia in the upcoming summer flight schedule, as it has operated in previous years. Compared to last year's summer flight schedule, slightly more weekly operations from Zurich to Pula, Split, and Dubrovnik have been announced, which is great news for all Swiss tourists looking to soak in the Croatian sun this summer.
A320 aircraft with a capacity of up to 174 seats in the passenger cabin in this carrier's fleet have been announced on all routes to Croatia. The only exception is Split, according to which Swissa A220 aircraft should also operate at the peak of the summer season.
The Zurich-Pula line should begin operating on May 28, and two flights a week have been announced, every Wednesday and Saturday, until the end of the summer flight schedule, i.e., on October 22 this year.
The Zurich-Dubrovnik line has been announced from April 15, also twice a week, every Monday and Friday, until October 24 this year.
Significantly more weekly operations have been announced between Zurich and Split, and at the same time, this line will be the first to start operating on April 8. Edelweiss will gradually increase the number of weekly operations to Split, and as early as June, 5 flights a week have been announced, on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
In addition to Edelweiss, a few other airlines fly from Croatia to Zurich, such as Croatia Airlines and the British EasyJet.
For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.
NK Osijek Shakes Up HNL Transfer Deadline with Kristijan Lovrić Signing
February 16, 2022 - NK Osijek managed to stir up the final hours of the HNL transfer window by bringing the high-in-demand Kristijan Lovrić from Gorica to City Garden.
The First HNL transfer window has been concluded - and it ended with a bomb and the unexpected transfer of Kristijan Lovrić from Gorica to Osijek.
The 26-year-old winger has played 21 games in the First HNL this season. Lovrić spent 1,803 minutes on the pitch, which was enough for him to score seven goals and five assists. He added three appearances and three goals in the Cup. His market value according to Transfermarkt is five million euros.
Gorica should earn around two million euros for Lovrić, and the player signed with Osijek for four and a half years.
"After three and a half years, 120 appearances, 54 goals, and 29 assists in the HNK Gorica jersey, Kristijan Lovrić left our club and became a player of NK Osijek," Gorica announced on its Facebook confirming the news.
Lovrić arrived as a replacement for Petar Bočkaj, who moved to Dinamo Zagreb on Christmas Eve for 2.5 million euros. After the arrival of Mijo Caktaš this winter, Lovrić is the second big reinforcement for Osijek, who are now even more ready to fight with Dinamo, Hajduk, and Rijeka.
Along with Petar Bočkaj, Dinamo also brought Azerbaijani Mahir Emreli from the Warsaw Legia, and released left-back Marin Leovac to Osijek.
Along with Lovrić, Osijek brought Mijo Caktaš, who terminated his contract with Saudi club Damac. Kristian Fućak, Vinko Petković, Alen Grgić, Antonio Mance, and Diego Barri arrived with Caktaš.
Hajduk also had a successful transfer period. Midfielder Lukas Grgić, right back Dino Mikanović, stopper Ferro and forward Nikola Kalinić have joined the team. Among the significant departures is stopper Kristian Dimitrov to the Romanian CFR Cluj. Hajduk earned half a million euros by selling Marin Jakoliš to Angers, France.
Rijeka brought stopper Sava-Arangel Čestić from Cologne, Germany, free of charge. Colombian right-back Andres Solano from Atletico Madrid's B team also arrived. Rijeka was left without an important first-team player Ivan Tomečak who went to Paphos, Cyprus.
Source: Gol.hr
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
Maestral Hotel Group Investing 150 Million Kuna in Dubrovnik Hotels
February 15th, 2022 - Hotel Adriatic in Dubrovnik is to be transformed from a two-star facility into an elegant four-star hotel
The Maestral hotel group from Dubrovnik has announced a major investment cycle. Over the next few years, the group is planning to make significant investments in its hotels in order to become a luxury hotel chain of the highest category, reports Morski.hr.
Hotel Adriatic is the first announced investment of the Maestral group. It’s to be transformed from a two-star facility into an elegant four-star hotel, retaining the same capacity of 140 luxury accommodation units that offer a beautiful view of the sea and the Petka forest park.
The five floors of the hotel will host a shopping promenade and a modern restaurant with a spacious terrace offering a superb gourmet experience, among numerous other facilities. The hotel will also have a beach and its own parking garage.
A spectacular infinity pool on the rooftop is another attraction the group has planned for Hotel Adriatic, along with a sunbathing area and an exclusive rooftop bar offering a spectacular view of the Elaphites.
Hotel Uvala, a four-star hotel with 51 accommodation units, will undergo an adaptation as well. Remodelling is planned for the interior of the hotel, the accommodation units, the wellness and spa centre, and other hotel facilities.
Together, the reconstruction of Hotel Adriatic and adaptation of Hotel Uvala amount to an investment of 150 million kuna in total.
'We are raising the bar of Dubrovnik's tourist offer with another luxury hotel that will directly contribute to economic growth of the destination as a whole, as well as the Maestral Hotel Group', said Maestral's president of the board Joško Prkačin.
A construction permit has already been obtained for the reconstruction of Hotel Adriatic, and the investment planning will begin immediately after the permit becomes final. Work is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2022, after the tourist season; the new Hotel Adriatic will welcome its first guests at the end of 2023.
Once the works on the two hotels are completed, the investment cycle of the Maestral hotel group is planned to continue with the reconstruction of the Wellness Hotel Vis, for which the necessary permits are currently being obtained. Maestral is planning to turn Hotel Vis into a superb five-star facility from its current category of three stars.
Hoteli Maestral d.o.o., a hotel group owned by PND Strategija d.o.o., consists of five hotels: Uvala, Splendid, Komodor, Vis and Adriatic, ranging from two-star to four-star categories, and with a total of 482 accommodation units. All hotels are located in the Lapad bay, 4 kilometres away from the Old Town of Dubrovnik.
Orijent 1919 Launches Fan Token, Joining Dinamo and HNS on the Crypto Market
February 15th, 2022 - The football club from Rijeka launched a crypto token and raised close to half a million kuna in six days of presale
Orijent recently launched a fan token ($ORI) and offered it for purchase in a week-long presale, reports Novi list.
The club that competes in the Second HNL joins Dinamo and HNS as the pioneers of cryptocurrency in Croatian football.
A fan token is a form of cryptocurrency used to reward fans by giving them benefits like voting on club decisions, interacting with the club and players, and a chance to win exclusive rewards.
The club published the following statement on their site:
‘We are proud to inform you that the presale of the $ORI Token has been successfully completed seven days after its announcement!
Namely, on the sixth day of the presale, the SoftCap of 100 BNB was reached - a predefined amount that guarantees the safe entry of the Orijent token on the cryptocurrency market.
Not only that, but here’s the total sold in 7 days of the presale:
172.82 BNB (which equals HRK 487.382,56 at the time of writing)
648.075 $ORI Tokens found their owners
We’re the only football club in Croatia alongside the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) and Dinamo to have successfully launched their token in the world of cryptocurrency.
The successful completion of this project is yet another proof that the ‘red and black’ club from Krimeja has a community of loyal fans and supporters, true sponsors and partners, who got [the club] to the top - in terms of football, organisation, infrastructure, and now in the segment of digitalization as well.
It takes 48 hours from the end of the presale for the cryptocurrency to become available on the stock exchange, i.e. for its trading to begin.
What we already know is that Orijent 1919 will offer its fans numerous interactions, prize contests, voting options, opportunities to win tokens, and so many other future things which we already look forward to.
As we’ve promised, together we enter the world of cryptocurrency, and together we create the future of Orijent.
We’re also looking forward to the Orijent mobile app which will fully come to life in the coming days, and keep the club close to loyal fans and all other users.
By downloading the application, the user enters a carefully designed ‘red and white’ world in which, apart from season passes and other tickets, they’ll be able to buy all products from the fan shop, enjoy special benefits such as discounts from our partner companies, track changes in the second league in real time, and much more.
The FAN Token will be available for purchase in the app from April 1st, 2022.
Users will be able to use the purchased tokens within the app, spend them on various things, but also win some ORI through individual prize contests.
We again wish to say a huge thank you to everyone who recognised this project of Orijent and together with us made another big step forward’, reads the announcement.
More information about the ORI fan token can be found here: Fan Tokens HNK Orijent 1919
Cryptocurrency trading can lead to large and immediate financial losses. Transactions in cryptocurrency may be irreversible, and, accordingly, losses due to fraudulent or accidental transactions may not be recoverable. The nature of cryptocurrency may lead to an increased risk of fraud or cyber attack.
